“We’re taking that?”
“That’s right. You got enough money, you can rent anything you want.” He smiled as he settled her in the passenger seat. “No expense spared while I’m in Dallas.”
“We’re spending a lot of money,” Kate said as he slid into the driver’s seat.
“Don’t worry, it’s dirty money, part of the stash I keep for expenses. I got it picking up a drug lord, came out of a huge pile of bills sitting in the middle of the dealer’s bed. This is just a prop. I don’t spend it on anything but work.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not a thief. Like I said, it’s just for show. Undercover cops do the same thing.”
She didn’t say more. She trusted Jason to do the right thing, the way he always did. She settled back to enjoy the evening.
This was fun, she realized. She hadn’t expected that. But now that she knew the game, she was determined to play her part.
She flicked a glance at Jason. “You look good behind the wheel of a Benz.”
He laughed. “Pretty much anybody looks good behind the wheel of a hundred-sixty-thousand-dollar Mercedes.”
She smiled and settled back in the seat. She didn’t stop smiling until the Mercedes pulled up to valet parking in front of the Blue Bayou nightclub. Then the possibilities of what could go wrong had her smile slipping away.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
After passing a hefty tip to one of the bouncers to get them in the front door, Jase set a hand on the small of Kate’s back and escorted her into the nightclub. It was first class all the way, the interior three-stories high, ringed with open balconies that looked down on a dance floor crisscrossed with tiny blue LED lights.
Blue neon light illuminated the bar and the booths along the walls. A strobe light beat over the dance floor while a DJ inside a glass-enclosed booth played a throbbing tune that had the place jumping.
“Let’s get a drink,” Jase suggested, steering Kate toward the bar. He tried not to notice the sexy little black dress she was wearing, cut just low enough to make him sweat. Thick blond curls tumbled around her shoulders, and those long legs went on forever.
He wished it didn’t feel so good to be spending his nights in her bed, wished she didn’t mean more to him than just a hot piece of ass.
Truth was, he was in deep with Kate Gallagher. Kate was smart and strong and determined. She was everything he admired in a woman. He was in a place he had never been before—though now was hardly the time to be thinking about it.
He helped her up on a bar stool and took the one beside her, pulled out a wad of cash in a flashy gold money clip. The way he was dressed, the car he was driving and the cash he’d been tossing around sent a message to the management. He figured it wouldn’t take long to hear from someone.
“I’ll have a vodka lemon drop martini,” Kate said, getting into her role. She seemed to have a knack, which made his job a whole lot easier.
“What kind of vodka?” the bartender asked.
“Grey Goose is all right.”
Jase surveyed the back bar. “She’ll have Beluga Gold.”
The bartender eyed the money clip in Jase’s hand. “What about you?”
“I’ll have a single malt. What have you got?”
The bartender mopped the counter in front of them. “Got a sixteen-year-old Lagavulin. That do?”
“That’s fine.”
The bartender, average height and build, blond and good-looking, went to work. A few minutes later, he returned with a stemmed martini glass and a heavy low ball glass filled with a shot of amber liquid. Setting the drinks on top of the bar, he cruised off to wait on other customers, more than enough to keep him busy.
Jase took a sip of the expensive scotch and turned to survey the room. The music was loud, but the crowd seemed to be enjoying it. His gaze went to the second floor, where he spotted a second bar, one that looked quieter.
“Come on, beautiful, let’s go upstairs.”
Kate’s eyes flashed to his. It was simple truth, not flattery, and had been the first time he’d said it. She took a couple of sips of her drink, bringing the level down so she could carry it, and they wove their way through the throng of moving bodies. Though an elevator wasn’t far away, the stairs gave him a chance to check out their surroundings.
